Amos Tayebwa

Mbarara

There are accusations of connivance between the Mbarara Central Market Leadership and some officials from Mbarara City Council and Mbarara City South Division through contracts awarding and allocations in the market.

It is alleged that the Chairman of the Central market Emmanuel Muhumuza was questionably awarded a contract for the market toilets. The contract for the toilets was taken from one Amos Katureebe and one Steven to the market chairman Muhumuza.

Before the contract was awarded to Muhumuza, the former tenderer raised his complaints to the City Council over lights which were no longer working in the toilets and water which was on and off and asked the council to review the rates from shs4m to 2m.

It is alleged that Muhumuza pays to council monthly revenue of only Shs 1m.

Mbarara Central Market toilets charge Shs 500 for each person who goes there for a short call or long call.  And the market accommodates over 1600 vendors.

The vendors have also raised their complaints against the market leadership and some officials from Mbarara City Council for illegally allocating some spaces in the market that were not gazetted for any business to take place in those areas.

It is alleged that the market leadership connived with some officials from the City Council and created a working space for business along the main gates and there are four main gates.

This is something which vendors say that is out of order, according to the allocation policies. Those spaces that were illegally created were allocated to some individuals who pay directly to officials from Council and some heads of this market.

Sources also revealed that there are no lights on the last floor of the market and the vendors operating on that level have lamented for so long but the responsible people have given it deaf ears.

One of the Officials from Mbarara City South Division trashed the allegations that there is mishandling of toilet fee collections. He said that council has not advertised for the contract award for the market toilets. He says the commercial office and the team including the market master were given powers to collect that money and pass it directly to the Mbarara City Council revenue authority.

He further said that the market the chairman Muhumuza sometimes gives assistance to ensure that the money is collected and goes to the right hands.

He also clarified on the issue of illegal allocation spaces on the main gates that were put there. He mentioned that they had initiated the idea to get those allocations either dismissed from those areas that were not gazetted for the businesses in that market or the people working on those spaces start paying for those areas they are operating on because they are cheating the council.

Emmanuel Muhumuza, the Mbarara Central Market Chairman told this website that he has never obtained or acquired a tender for the toilets in the market as some people allege. He adds that the council has never even advertised for that tender.

“Toilets in the central market are for the council and they have not tendered any other person since the resignation of the former tenderer. I don’t have any document concerning the ownership of the tender of those toilets because I have never asked for any tender. Those who feel concerned about this issue of toilets’ money let them go and ask the Town Clerk from Mbarara City South Division. They are in-charge under their market master. But I no longer want  to be put in such politics by some people within this market. Let them play their politics because some of them they normally have no any empirical evidence,” he said.

Muhumuza was elected as the Chairman of the market replacing Muhammad Nyombi when vendors were shifted from Independence Park to the newly constructed market.

Vendors want the anti corruption agencies to intervene and do thorough investigations against some of the market leaders and some officials from Mbarara City Council.

Vendors and the market leadership have since been having conflict and disagreements, poor allocation methods of the lockups and issue of market SACCO.